Boat.



No. 697,539. Patented Apr. l5, 1902. c. s. Pnuneu.

BOAT.

(Application filed July 15, 1901.).

No..97,539. Patented Apr. I5, |902.

C. S. PRUDEN. BOAT. (Application led July 15, 1991.) (No Model.) 2 She'ets-Shest 2.

fla 6:

Wlgessas 1H: Noam: PErEns no., Horam-mo.. WASHINGTON. n. c.

UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S. FRUDEN, OF ROME, GEORGIA.

SPECIFICATION forlning part 0f Letters Patent NO. 697,539, dated April 15, 1902.

vApplication filed July 15,1901.

To cti/Z whom, t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. PRUDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rome,

-in the county of Floyd and State of Georgia,

vide a boat of this character having a section designed to receive an engine for propelling the boat and capable of being readily raised and lowered to give the desired depth to the propeller and to raise the same to avoid injury to the propeller when the boat is in shallow water.

The invention consists in the construction andvnovel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims. hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a boat constructed in accordance with this 'invention, the sections being separated or spaced apart to form a catamaran-boat. Fig. 2 is asimilar view, the sections being arranged contiguous to each other to provide a boat of the ordinary configuration. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a similar viewon the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional View on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view on the line 7 '7 of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a detail View of one of the rear cross-bars, illustrating the arrangement of the ears.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 1 designate similarboat-sections provided with bottoms and sides and having curved outer sides 2, conforming to the configuration of the sides of an ordinary boat, and the secseriai No.' 68.359. (No man.)

tions may be provided with round or flat bottoms to form a round or fiat bottomed boat. The inner sides are provided with straight central and front portions 3 and have curved rear portions 4, presenting exterior concave faces and adapted to form a recess or pocket for a rear boatsection 5 when the sections are arranged contiguous to one another, as shown in Fig.` 2. The side sections are also adapted to be spaced apart, as shown in Fig. 1, to provide a central runway or channel to form a boat of the catamaran style, and when the sections are spaced apart, as shown in Fig. l, theyare connected bycross-bars 6 and 7, the cross-bars 6 being located at the straight portions of theinner sides and the cross-bars 7 being located at the curved portions of the same. AThe'crossbars o', which are designed to extend entirely across the side sections, are provided with perforations for the reception ofthreaded stems 8, which pass through the cross-bars and which receive nuts 9. The n uts detachably secu re the front cross-bars to the side sections of the boat,whereby the said side sections are rigidly held in proper position. The threaded Shanks are preferably formed integral with plates,which are secured to the inner faces of the sides ofthe sections 1, as clearly shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6. When the side sections are arranged contiguous with each other, as illustrated in Fig. 2 ofthe drawings, they are connected by short crossbars 10, provided with perforations for the reception of the threaded Shanks. The side sections ot` the boat are also secured together by clamps 11, which may be of any desired construction. These clamps are preferably U-shaped to embrace the inner sides of the sections 1 and are provided with bolts 12, passing through the sides of the clamps and through the sides of the sections, as clearly shown in Fig. '7.

The rear cross-bars '7, which are preferably secured to the curved portions of the inner sides of the sections 1 by threaded stems 13 and nuts 14, are provided between their ends with openings 15 for the reception of upwardlyextending arms 16, which are connected with the sides of the rear section. The arms 16 are perforated for the reception of fastening devices 17, which pass through perforated ears 18, arranged in pairs at opposite sides IOO ofthe openings ofthe rcarcross-bars. By this construction the rear boat-section, which is designed to contain an engine or motor, may be raised and lowered to locate a propeller (not shown) at the desired depth and also to arrange it in a safe position when the boat is in shallow water. The rear section has curved sides and is provided with a pointed front end, and it conforms to the configuration of the curved portions of the inner walls or sides of the sections I and entirely fills the pocket,

as clearly shown in Fig. 2, when the sections are contiguous to one another. Then the sections are contiguous, the rear section is secured to the side sections by clam ps 19, constructed similar to those heretofore described; but any other form of clamp may be employed.

The boat, which is designed primarily for use as a pleasure-boat, is especially adapted for use on inland rivers, and as the sections are separable it is adapted to be readily taken apart for removal from a stream. This construction also dispenses with the necessity of boat-houses, and at the time of floods the boat may be readily removed to a place of safety. Also the boat may be made either round-bottomed or flat-bottomed, and the rear section, which carries the engine or motor, may be tapered or shaped in any other suitable manner at the stern to enable the propeller to operate on the water to the greatest advantage. The boat, which is perfectly safe and almost impossible to capsize, is of` light draft, the side sections having a draft of only a few inches, and the rear section is vertically adjustable and may be lowered to the desired depth-say about sixteen inches, more orless, according to the size of the boat and propeller-and it can be arranged in the same plane as the side sections. This construction permits the parts to be properly positioned foruse in deep wateror shallow water and will prevent the propeller from being broken or otherwise injured in shallow water.

Instead of employing the devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings for connecting the sections any other desired construction may be provided for that purpose.

Vhat I claim is- 1. A boat comprising side sections adapted to be arranged contiguous to each other and capable of being spaced apart, said sections being provided at their rear portions withinner recesses adapted to form a pocket when the side sections are arranged together, and a rear section conforming to the configuration of the pocket and located between the rear portions of the side sections, substantially as described.

2. A convertible boat comprising separable tapering side sections having abutting inner sides and forming a boat of the ordinary configuration and providing a tapering bow, said side sections extending the entire length of the boat and capable of being spaced apart to form a boat of the catamaran type, and means for rigidly connecting the sections,sub stantially as described.

Aboatcomprisingsideseetionsprovided at their rear portions with recesses to form a pocket, said side sections being adapted to be arranged contiguous to each other and to be spaced apart, and the rear section arranged in the said pocket and adjustably connected with the side sections and adapted to be raised and lowered independently of the side sections, substantially as described.

4. A boat comprising the side sections provided at their inner walls or sides with straight front portions and having curved rear portions to form a pocket, and the pointed rear section conforming to the configuration of the pocket and adjustably connected with the side sections, substantially as described.

5. A boat comprising the separable side sections arranged' contiguous to each other to form a boat of the ordinary construction and capable of being spaced apart to provide a boat of the catamaran type, cross-bars connecting the side sections, and the verticallyadjustable rear section mounted independently of the said sections and adjustably connected with the adjacent cross-bars, substantially as described.

G. A boat provided with a vertically-adjustable propeller-section mounted independently of the rest of the boat and designed to contain the propelling mechanism and capable of being arranged at different depths to permit the propeller to operate in bot-h deep and shallow water, and means for securing the propeller-section in its adjusted position, substantially as described.

7. A boat having a propeller-section arranged within the contour of the body p0rtion and vertically movable independently thereof and with relation thereto to raise and lower the propeller, and means for securing IOO the propeller-section against independentlateral movement.

8. A sectional boat having a rear pocket and provided therein with a vertically -movable rear propeller-section mounted independently of the rest of the boat and capable of adjustment to position a propeller properly, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES S. PRUDEN.

V'Vitnesses:

J. A. HUME, A. S. HIGGINS.

IIO 

